CONDITIONALITY

Conditionality (Saṃsara)

The Buddha taught all compounded things are impermanent (DN16:6.19). This is known as the doctrine of Anicca. When the doctrine of Anicca is applied to a sentient being, it is referred to as the doctrine of anatta (an+atta = not+self) meaning there is no immutable self.

When Buddhists talk of self, they mean that which gives rise to self-interest. All self-interest is selfish, whether gratuitous mine-making, deliberately earning of merit, or getting out of the way of an oncoming car. Some selfishness is gross but some is necessary. How far selfishness can be taken, is something the renunciant has to be sensible about. Regardless of how self(ishness) manifests, and regardless of how substantial sensual experience may appear to be, delight in sensual pleasure, and sensual perceptions, ‘both alike are impermanent. What is impermanent is not worth delighting in (MN106:5).’

The last line is one of the most valuable in the Pāli canon. It is a description of the renunciant’s dying mentality. He maintains mastery of the imaginative faculties. He preserves a bright, equanimous, pure mind, through the death process, and according to the Acchariya-Abbhuta Suttam (MN123:3), even through the birth process, if he is reborn again.

Impermanence Applied To Selfishness (Anatta)

Let’s look again in more detail at Saccaka’s misguided view of self, and the Buddha’s response (MN35).

While out walking for exercise one morning, Saccaka met the venerable Assaji on his alms round (3). He asked Assaji how the Buddha disciplined his disciples, and Assaji tells Saccaka that the Buddha teaches material form, feelings, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, (the aggregate of five) are all impermanent, and not a permanent self. All formations of any kind are not permanent, all things are not self (4). Saccaka proposed a face-to-face debate with the Buddha, although no agreement was made. Sometime later, enthusiasm overtook Saccaka, and in front of 500 Licchavi clansmen, he bragged his intensions to contest and humiliate the Buddha. He boasted that just as a strong man might seize a ram by the hair at the back of its neck, and drag it around, just as a strong-man’s brewer might drag a large sieve through a brew-mash, just as a brewer’s strong mixer-man meticulously gathers, and squeezes out the liquor from his sieve, just as easily as a sixty-year-old elephant washes bails of hemp, so too, Saccaka boasted, he would deal with the Buddha’s teaching (5). Despite mixed feelings amongst the Licchavi¹ audience, 500 went with Saccaka (6) to find the Buddha sitting at the root of a tree in the Great Wood for his day’s abiding (7). Some paid homage to the Buddha, others extended hands in reverential salutation, some announced their name, and some just came and sat in silence (8).

Saccaka asked the Buddha what disciplines he offers his disciples. The Buddha says he teaches that material form, feelings, perception, formations, and consciousness are all impermanent and are not self. All formations are not permanent, all things are not self (9). Saccaka then presented his counter argument with a simile. Just as seeds sprout, develop and mature in dependence on the earth, and just as strenuous work is done by the seedling, pushing against the earth, it is inextricably dependent upon the earth. So too, posited Saccaka, a person has material form, feelings, perception, formations and consciousness as self, and this self produces both merit and demerit (10).

The Buddha continues his questioning, and uses a simile of his own.

The Buddha then compares the logic of his simile, with that of Saccaka’s simile.

Saccaka remained silent. The Buddha asked a second time, and still got no answer (13). Then a thunderbolt wielding spirit, appeared over Saccaka’s head with the intention of splitting his head into seven pieces, if he did not answer the question. Both the Buddha and Saccaka saw this, and both were aware of its intentions (14). Buddha asked a third time.

Even though Saccaka had realised his main premise had crumbled, the Buddha, in characteristic thoroughness, asked whether Saccaka whether he could exercise control over the remaining four phenomena.

And each time Saccaka replies “No master Gotama.”

The Buddha continues his interrogation. This time he questions whether the aggregate of five are worthy to be viewed as self on the basis of impermanence and suffering, as distinct from whether they can be controlled.

In characteristic thoroughness, the Buddha asks the same questions again, but for feelings, perception, mental formations and consciousness. Each time Saccaka replies that these are not permanent, or fit to be regarded as self.

The Buddha has now established and agreed two things with Saccaka: what one has little, or no control over, cannot reasonably be regarded as self, and that the Aggregation Of Five is impermanent and so indivisible from suffering, and therefore not fit to be regarded as self.

The Buddha continues his interrogation by questioning the possibility of being free from suffering whilst holding a misguiding view.

The Buddha then compares Saccaka’s lack of insight to a man seeking heartwood, who having recognised and cut down a tree with prime timber, then goes to the buds and starts to unfold them in the hope of finding heartwood² (22).

And still, the Buddha was not finished with Saccaka. There is the matter of Saccaka boasting that none would not shake, tremble and sweat under the armpits at the thought of facing him in debate. The Buddha removes his outer robe to reveal his golden coloured body, void of any sign of perspiration.

Then Dummakha of the Licchavis speaks. He likens Saccaka’s argument to a crab having had all its legs pulled off by children, and is thus unable to run for refuge³.

Saccaka asks the Buddha to let things be, and admits what he said was prattle. Finally, the Buddha finishes by admonishing saccaka on the need to act upon correct wisdom (24). Saccaka acknowledges his folly again, and praises the Buddha, saying whilst a man might attack a mad elephant safely, there is no safety attacking the Buddha’s teaching. He says a man might attack a fire safely, yet there is no safety attacking the Buddha’s teaching. He says a man might attack a fearsome poisonous snake safely, yet there is no safety attacking the Buddha’s teaching (27).

The following day Saccaka laid on a banquet for the Buddha, and Saṅgha, and several hundred Licchavis. Saccaka served the Buddha personally.

Discussion

The important part of the discourse is understanding what the Buddha means by no control over material form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness. Whilst the aggregate of five is stimulated by mind-objects, whether we like it or not, we do have some control over consciousness (minds), at least to the extent that we can keep it pure. But even consciousness is the consequence of supporting conditions and is therefore not permanent (MN38). The aggregate of five is an integral part of the survival mechanism that we are, and it never leaves us alone; not even as Arahants. The aggregate of five is indivisible from sentience. The best we can do is lead a life of moderation, and intermittently seek refuge in higher meditation and Voidness, and for the brave, seek Nibbāna.

Venerable Vakkali The Elder

The Buddha regarded himself and others as impermanent and expected bhikkhus following his prescription to do the same. There was an occasion where the elder venerable Vakkali was suffering from a terminal illness. He greeted the Buddha, “For a long time, venerable sir, I have wanted to come to see the Blessed One, But I haven’t been fit enough to do so.” “Enough, Vakkali! Why do you want to see this foul body? One who sees the Dhamma sees me; one who sees me sees the Dhamma (SN III 22.87).”

We should not confuse this with the Mahāyanaism that teaches one who sees the Dhamma is one with the Buddha and Brahma. The Buddha tells us his body is foul and we should not become attached to him, nor identify with Brahma. Ultimately, all attachment is alien in the renunciative paradigm. The Dhamma is to be embodied, that is, understood and realised.

Dependant Origination (Paṭicca-Samuppāda)

The aggregate of five is a redacted version of the 12-stepped Dependent Origination (Paṭicca-Samuppāda⁴), also referred to as the 12 Nidāna. It is sometimes informally referred to as the Wheel Of Life. Dependent Origination is expounded not only as five and 12-fold, but also as an eight and three-fold process. There is also a 22-stepped presentation, although strictly speaking, steps 11 to 22 are not part of the cycle, but steps in the process of liberating oneself out of the cycle of birth and death.

There are two places in the Wheel Of Life where we work at our liberation. One is at feeling, which is followed by craving. Craving requires the involvement of the imaginative faculties, which are stimulated by feeling. There is nothing we can do to stop sensorial impressions but we can deal with feeling, using the apperceptive gaze. This is the tool to prevent oneself from becoming craven (MN11:17). This is the practice of vipassanā; the awareness of the rise and fall of phenomena.

The second place to make one’s escape is at ignorance, 180 degrees away. This is followed by kamma formations (volition). The Buddhist’s ethical code provides right perspectives for dispelling ignorance, and for channelling and containing our grosser energies, thereby attenuating kamma formations.

Figure 13 Paṭicca-Samuppāda (The 12 Nidanas)

The 12 Nidanas are often represented as the following list.

1. Ignorance (Avijjā) is born of kamma formations (Saṅkhāra)
2. Kamma formations (Saṅkhāra) is born of consciousness (viññāṇa)
3. Consciousness (viññāṇa) is born of mind-body (nāmarūpa)
4. Mind-body (nāmarūpa) is born of the six senses (saḷāyatana)
5. Six senses (saḷāyatana) is born of sensorial impressions (Phassa)
6. Sensorial impressions (Phassa) is born of feeling (Vedāna)
7. Feeling (Vedāna) is born of craving (taṇha)
8. Craving (taṇha) is born of clinging (upādāna)
9. Clinging (upādāna) is born of becoming (bhava)
10. Becoming (bhava) is born of birth (Jāti)
11. Birth (Jāti) is born of decay and death (Jarā and maraṇa)
12. Decay and death (Jarā and maraṇa) is born of ignorance (Avijjā)

Due to ignorance (Avijjā) kamma formations (volition) thrive (Saṅkhāra). Kamma formations colour consciousness (viññāṇa). Consciousness is dependent upon there being a mind-body (nāmarūpa). Mind-body has six senses (saḷāyatana), which convey sensorial impressions (Phassa). Sensorial impressions give rise to feeling (Vedanā). Feeling makes us prone to craving (taṇha), which is clinging (upādāna). Clinging is attachment to life. Attachment to life perpetuates the becoming of existence (bhava). Becoming becomes birth (Jāti). Birth is indivisible from decay and death (Jarā and maraṇa). Decay and death is part of the impermanence of life. Not fully appreciating impermanence, is ignorance (Avijjā). And so, the cycle self-perpetuates.

Redacted Forms of Paṭicca-Samuppāda

Redacted forms of Dependent Origination are more common than the full 12-stepped formulation. Regardless of however many steps are taught, they are not always presented in the same order (see table 24). The order is usually determined by the context. In the teaching below, the Buddha gives us an eight-stepped formation. He starts with craving and moves anticlockwise towards ignorance.

Below, we see how the Aggregate of Five (Material form/feelings/perception/formations /consciousness) is a redaction of the dependent origination.

Sāriputta taught a three-fold redaction.

The following table presents various formats of Dependant Origination.

Table 29 Comparison Redactions Of Paṭicca-Samuppāda